THE ASSESSMENT

Evaluation criteria

In reviewing the applications, the Evaluation Committee looks for an overall coherent, compelling and engaging story of the city’s approach towards sustainable, fair and ethical trade. The Evaluation Committee assesses both the substance and the quality of the applications based on the following five criteria:

1. Overall city direction and strategy: A clear vision, strategy and objectives to help guide cities in taking decisions and implement actions in line with sustainable, fair and ethical trade principles;

2. Policies and activities: Breadth, scope and type of policies, practices and initiatives to drive sustainable, fair and ethical trade and awareness for such schemes;

3. Stakeholder engagement and participation: Involvement of and cooperation with and amongst various city stakeholders such as different city departments, civil society, academia, or businesses;

5. Presentation and communication: Presentation of the city’s engagement in a compelling and coherent manner; the submission is complete and the claims are supported by evidence.

As entrants can substantially differ in size, the cities’ individual circumstances will be taken into account through the context criteria when reviewing the applications.

Presenting a coherent "overall story"

Ultimately, what matters is the ‘whole picture’ of the city’s performance on sustainable, fair and ethical trade, rather than stand-alone initiatives. This includes, but is not limited to, a combination of policies and activities such as:

Sustainable public procurement

Awareness-raising events

Public information campaigns

Educational activities

Sustainable business practices

Global partnerships

In selecting the winner from the shortlist, the Jury takes into consideration the following aspects:

The set of evaluation criteria applied by the Evaluation Committee

The potential of the applicant city to act as an Ambassador of the Award and its values

The potential for the applicant city to champion and actively contribute to the Award Network and the implementation of the Award project with ITC

Future prospects and sustainability of the city’s efforts

The EU Cities for Fair and Ethical Trade Award is an initiative of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Trade implemented by the International Trade Centre.